فِدَاؤُكَ مَنْ إذَا رُمْتَ امْتِنانَا

فِدَاؤُكَ مَنْ إذَا رُمْتَ امْتِنانَا

عَلَيَّ لَهُ أَبَى إلاَّ امْتِنَاعَا

عَلَيَّ لَهُ أَبَى إلاَّ امْتِنَاعَا

May he be your ransom who, when you seek a favor

Your ransom is he who, when you aim to do him a favor,

From him for me, insists on nothing but refusal.

Refuses anything from me but rejection.

فَلاَ عِنْدِي لَهُ نِعَمٌ تُجَازَى

فَلاَ عِنْدِي لَهُ نِعَمٌ تُجَازَى

وَلا لِي عِنْدَهُ ذِمَمٌ تُرَاعَى

وَلا لِي عِنْدَهُ ذِمَمٌ تُرَاعَى

So I have no favors of his to repay,

So I have no bounty for him that is repaid,

Nor do I have claims upon him to be honored.

Nor does he have any duty to me that is fulfilled.

أبَاسِطُهُ وَأَحْذَرُهُ كَأَنِّي

أبَاسِطُهُ وَأَحْذَرُهُ كَأَنِّي

أُمَارِسُ مِنْ خَلاَئِقِهِ السِّباعا

أُمَارِسُ مِنْ خَلاَئِقِهِ السِّباعا

I am cordial with him and wary of him, as though I

I extend my hand to him and am wary of him as if

Were grappling with beasts of prey in his nature.

I deal with predators among his creations.

فلا أنا آمِنٌ مِنْهُ ضِرَاراً

فلا أنا آمِنٌ مِنْهُ ضِرَاراً

ولاَ هُوَ آمِلٌ مِنِّي انْتِفَاعَا

ولاَ هُوَ آمِلٌ مِنِّي انْتِفَاعَا

So I am not safe from his harm,

So neither am I safe from his harm,

Nor does he hope for any benefit from me.

Nor is he hopeful of gain from me.

فَلَسْتُ أَوُدُّهُ إلاَّ رِياءً

فَلَسْتُ أَوُدُّهُ إلاَّ رِياءً

وَلَيْسَ يَوَدُّنِي إلاَّ خِدَاعَا

وَلَيْسَ يَوَدُّنِي إلاَّ خِدَاعَا

So I show him affection only for appearances,

Thus I love him only hypocritically,

And he shows me affection only to deceive.

And he wishes me well only deceitfully.

أَضَعْت حُقُوقَهُ وأَضَاعَ حَقِّي

أَضَعْت حُقُوقَهُ وأَضَاعَ حَقِّي

فيالَكِ صُحْبَةً ذَهَبَتْ ضَيَاعَا

فيالَكِ صُحْبَةً ذَهَبَتْ ضَيَاعَا

I neglected his rights, and he neglected mine;

I neglected his rights and he lost mine,

So, what a friendship you were—gone to waste!

So what wretched company that has gone to waste!